Hat stretcher



AMau-ch 30, 1937.

H. scHLEslNGEJR HAT STRE'TCHER Filed Nov. '18, 1935 i Patented Mar. 30,1937 HAT STRETCHER Harry Schlesinger, Des Moines, Iowa, assignor ofone-half to Alfred F. Yoerg, Des Moines, Iowa Application November 18,1935, Serial No. 50,399

5 Claims. (Cl. 223-15) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE single adjustingmeans being provided for accom- A plishing the expanding operation.

More particularly it is my object to provide a w hat stretchercomprising a hat block formed of a pair of curved side members and apair ofV curved end members, the ends of these members having pinsockets, pins being slidably mounted in the sockets and a turnbucklenut-like handle 1', means for sliding two of the members and thereby theother two members through the sliding connections of the pins.

Another object is to provide anges on the ends of the adjusting handleand arms extended from two of the members and engageable with theseflanges in such manner as toprevent rotation of the members of the hatblock relative to each other about the pins in the sockets and toequalize the expansion of the hat block when adjusting it.

Another object is to provide on each member of the hat block a flangeadjacent one edge thereof to engage the inner edge of a hat brim tofacilitate alignment of the hat stretcher in a hat and 1 thereby preventtwisting the hat out of shapeV y 45 Figure 4 is a view of a portion ofFigure 1 showing the parts in a partially expanded position.

On the accompanying drawing, I have used the `reference numerals I toindicate end members or sections and I2 side members or sections of an50 oval shaped hat block which comprises the major portion of my hatstretcher. Other parts of the invention are pins I4, threaded shafts I6and I8,

a handle 20 and arms 22 which together with the members I-IJ and I2 makeup the hat stretcher.

55 The pins I4 are received in pin sockets 24 formed in bosses 26 and 28of the members I 0 and- I2. The pins I4 may be pinned in the sockets ofthe bosses 28 by small transverse pins 30.

The axes of the sliding pins I4 are less than 455 to the longitudinalaxis of the hat block which axis is also the axis of rotation of thehandle 20. The axes of the pins I4 are substantially tangential to thecurved periphery of the hat block at the ends of the bosses 26 and 28 sothat yupon sliding movement being imparted to the members lil l) thepins I4 will impart sliding movement of the members I2 in suchproportion that the oval shape of the hat block will be maintained inal1 positions of adjustment.

The threaded rods I6 and I8 have respectively l5;

right and left hand threads and are secured as by ins 32 and 34 insockets 36 of bosses 38 formedv on the members IIJ of the hat block. Theinner end of one of the rods such as I6 is preferably provided withlimited pins 4I] to prevent the 20 handle from unscrewing entirely fromthe rods. These pins may be inserted after assembly through an opening42 in the handle.

From the foregoing, it is obvious that rotation of the handle 2|) in onedirection or the other will 25 either expand or contract the end membersI0 and that consequently the side members I2 will be either expanded orcontracted.

The ends of the handle 20 are provided with annular flanges 44 which areadapted to rotate in 30 r` channels 46 of the arms 22. Two of the arms22 are provided for each member I2 and these are located on oppositesides of the handle 20 and its anges 44 as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

The arms 22 are confined by the anges 44 35 against swinging about theaxes of the pins I4. This keeps the outer surfaces of the hatblockmembers I0 and I2 in accurate alignment with each other. With the arms22 there is also sme tendency for the members I2 to slide further from40 one member I0 than from the other one, thus causing a binding actionwhich, of course, is undesirable. The anges 44 since they are part ofthe handle 20 and the handle advances the rods I6 and I8 simultaneouslyat the same speed, will 45 l always keep` the members I2 equalized intheir movement and the spaces between their ends and the ends of themembers I0 all equal. This both prevents binding and maintains theproper oval shape of the hat block in all positions of adjust- 50 ment.

Along the base of each member I0 and I2, I provide a flange 41 which isadapted to engage the inner edge of a hat brim 48 of a hat 50, as shownin Figure 3, to limit the position of the hat stretcher into the hat.Without this flange, there is a danger of positioning one side or oneend of the hat stretcher further into the hat than the other end or sideand when the stretcher is then manipulated for stretching the hat, thehat is stretched unevenly and becomes misshapen.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose ofmy invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a hat stretcher, an oval shaped hat block comprising a pair ofcurved side members and a pair of curved end members, slidableconnections between the ends of said side and end members, the slidingaxes being at an acute angle relative to the longitudinal axis of thehat block, means for moving said end members toward or away from eachother along said longitudinal axis and thereby moving said side membersby means of said slidable connections and means rigid relative to saidside members and projecting therefrom, and engaging said last means toprevent misalignment of said members relative to each other and equalizethe movement of the side members relative to each other and inproportion to the adjustment of the end members.

2. In a hat stretcher, an oval shaped hat block comprising a pair ofcurved side members and a pair of curved end members, slidableconnections between the ends of said side and end members, the slidingaxes being at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the hatblock, means for moving one pair of said members toward or away fromeach other and means rigid relative to the other pair of members andprojecting therefrom and engaging said last means to preventmisalignment of said other pair of members relative to each other and toequalize movement of the one relative to the other and in proportion tothe pair of members moved toward or away from each other by said firstmeans.

3. In a hat stretcher, an oval shaped hat block comprising a pair .ofcurved side members and a pair of curved end members, slidableconnections between the ends of said side and end members, the slidingaxes being at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the hatblock, means for moving one pair of said members toward or away fromeach other and means projecting from the other pair of said members andengaging said last means to prevent misalignment of said other pair ofsaid members relative to each other and to equalize movement of the onerelative to the other and in proportion to the pair of members movedtoward or away from each other by said rst means, said first meanscomprising a turnbuckle-like handle and a pair of rods and said secondmeans comprising arms rotatably associated with said handle and rigidrelative to said other pair of said members and coacting means betweensaid first and second means to limit the position of the second meanslongitudinally of the first means.

4. In a device of the class described, an oval shaped hat blockcomprising a pair of curved side members and a pair of curved endmembers, the ends of each of said members having a pin socket therein atan angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the hat block, pins insaid sockets and means to spread two of said members, said pins therebyspreading the other two members and means rigid with and extending fromsaid other two members and engaging said rst means to prevent rotationof said members about said pins and thereby misalignment in relation toeach other.

5. In a hat stretcher, an oval shaped hat block comprising a pair ofcurved side members and a pair of curved end members, slidableconnections between the ends of said side and end members, the slidingaxes being at an angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the hatblock, turnbuckle-like means for moving said end members toward or awayfrom each other, said turnbuckle-like means Ycomprising a pair ofo-ppositely threaded rods and a handle-like nut, said slidableconnections simultaneously moving said side members toward .or away fromeach other, annular flanges on the ends of said handle-like nut and apair of arms connected with each of said side members and each havinggrooves to rotatably receive the flanges of said nut.

HARRY SCHlLlESINGE'R.

